Method of mining.



w. G. ANDERSON. METHOD OF MINING. APPLIOATION'I'ILED AT IGJI, 1908.

Patented Deb. 15, 1908v 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. G. ANDERSON. METHOD OF MINING. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11, 19.08.

.2 gnnnTs-snna'r 2.

' ArroRNEz Patented Dec. 15,1908,

1n: NORRIS FITIRS co-, lvAsumlmu, n. c.

WILLIAM ANDERSON, OF SMUGGLER, COLORADO.

METHOD OF MINING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

Application filed August 11, 1908. Serial No. 447,921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. ANDER- SON, citizen of the United States, residing at Smuggler, in the county of San Miguel and State of Colorado, have invented new and useful Im rovements in Methods of Mining, of which t e following is a specification.

My invention relates to a method of breaking ore and timbering stopes or worked out ground, and also the filling in of, the same.

The ore which has to be mined usually lies in ledges or seams extending from or near the surface downward to great depths. It is usual to mine this ore either by tunneling in, where the contour of the country permits, at difierent levels along the ore body, or to sink a shaft and run levels from this shaft; stoping or digging out the ore above and below the levels or tunnels run and removing the same to the surface.

Since all the ore or material removed is not value-bearing, it is a source of great expense and trouble if everything dug out has to be taken to the surface, as has frequently been the case in the past. Furthermore, more or less danger has resulted from the caving in of worked out stopes.

The object of my invention is to provide a system in which it is only necessary to take out of the mine the more valuable portions of the ore,using the refuse and waste taken from development to fill in the worked out stopes; thereby doing away with the necessity of hoisting a great quantity of worthless material to the surface. In doing this I provide an economical method of timbering whereby the miners are protected from any danger of the mine caving in. Also by my method I provide a cheap way of breaking out the ore and loading the cars, all of which will be more fully explained hereafter.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section viewed in the direction of the arrow Fig. 2, showing the method of blocking ore, stoping, timbering and filling; the ore vein being shown in perspective. Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same.

While the system as shown is here applied to a mine worked by a shaft, it will be manifest that it is equally applicable to tunnel mining.

In the ractice of the invention a shaft A is sunk a ong the ledge to any appropriate de th, and levels or tunnels 2, 3, etc. run at suitable distances apart, generally 100 feet along the vein or ledge. The ore is then blocked with Winzes or raises 4, 5, 6, etc., between the levels at any desired distance apart, usually '100 feet. Assuming that the winze or passage 5 connects levels 2 and 3, underhand stoping is started on the floor of level 2 on each side of a vertical passage or winze 5 the ore being broken at level 2 from both sides of the raise or winze which ore falls into the chute 7 at level marked 3. The stope is carried down in bench form; that is, the ore being broken out so as to leave steps as shown at 8, to provide suitable inclines down and over which the ore will roll b gravity; at the same time these steps w' afiord a suitable foothold and give standing room for the miners who are working the drills.

The ore that is broken runs by gravity into the chute 7 and if desired a grizzly 8 may be placed across the raise at the lower extremity of the benches, as shown, thereby preventing large pieces of broken ore falling into the chutes below.

As the size of the stope or worked out area increases stulls as 9 are placed in between the walls, and poles or lagging 10 laid on these stulls. The stulls are usually laid in at an incline and wedged in between the walls thereby aidin to support the walls and preventing the wa ls from collapsing. On top of the lagging 10 the Waste material or filling 11 is dumped asit accumulates; this waste being the result of development work and by dumping it into the worked out spaces of the mine I do away with the necessity of hoisting it to the surface, and by filling in these worked out spaces the filling becomes as compact as the walls themselves, and thereby prevents any danger of the stopes caving 1n.

Manways 12 are carried down with the work and if desired ladders 13 may be hung in these manways. If desired, chutes 14 may be provided in the bottom of the floors to drain the filling from above for the next floor below. The stulls and flooring operate to protect the miners who are working on the benches below from loose rock that may fall from the walls.

The ore which is received into the chute 7 is delivered into a car running in the tunnel or level as at 3 immediatel below.

Whenever a block of ore is worked out and filled in, other blocks are started, and in fact several blocks may be, and usually are, worked simultaneously.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The method of mining which comprehends running levels along the ore body, connecting these levels by a suitable passage way, working out theme on each side of the passage way by a system of benches, putting stulling and lagging into the worked out stopes, and filling the Waste material into the vacant stope on top of this lagging.

2. The method of mining which comprehends running levels along the ore body, connecting these levels by a suitable passage way, working out the ore on each side of the passage way by a system of benches, putting stulling and lagging into the worked out stopes, and filling the waste material into the vacant stope on top of this lagging, carrying down manways with the stope and collecting the broken ore at the bottom of the passage Way in a chute.

3. The method of mining which comprehends stoping out the ore, collecting the desired portion of the ore, suitably timbering the worked out portion of the stope, and filling in the waste material on top of the timbering, the said timbering forming an overhead protection and roof to those working underneath.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set- WILLIAM G. ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

NELSON A. VIZNA, GEO. T. MILLER. 

